Red District Project,or also known as RDP
is a project held by local artist in Indonesia that brought art and culture issues.
RDP provide art workshops for people who live in the 'red district' area.
to provide the following workshops, RDP cooperate with other artists, such as:
- teapot (Ms. Endang Lestari - ceramic artist)
- Mr. Abdul Syukur - batik artist
- Taring Padi (Mr. Ucup - woodcut artist)
- LESTARI Cling (Mr. Agus - enviromentist)
- Gress Manupassa - accessories designer
- Caroline Rika - Tie Dye artist
- Jogja Mural Foundation

the workshop itself started on May - July 2009
at July, 25th 2009, RDP will make a closing exibition located at Sosrowijayan Kulon

last night i met some old friends of mine
i was excited to meet them again
some of them already graduated and the others just a step from
graduating
after a little chitchat, we've came to the topic about job.
then i said that i had a part time job, as a volunteer on
Red District Projects.
and they were saying like, "yeah, that kind of job is soo
typically you." and they gave the 'underestimate look' by rolling
their eyes and laughs.
i was stunned.
i thinked, "what's wrong with 'that kind' of job?"
is there something funny of being a volunteer that work with
real prostitutes at red district areas??
i dont think so!

the same thing happened to me when i got my first job as a
volunteer at NGO that brought issues about HIV/AIDS.
most all of my friends that i've been told about my job
were giving me the same acts and words, like
"why would you even want to do 'that kind' of job?"

why not??
they're real people.
they're human.
they do hv feelings.
they eat the same foods like we do.
they breath the same air with us.
why underestimate them just because of their choice of work?

and they started to talk about religion, sins and stuffs
and at some points they finally spilled out the main issue:
"their job's againts all of what we studied in here. The faculty of
law. we're law student! we should uphold the law. blah blah blah"

well, friends, sorry to say this
but working with the minority people is my honor.
im proud to know and actually communicate with them,
listen to their life-story actually inspired me to be a better
person.

IF they can hv another job, they wouldnt be what they are now.
nobody wants to be a prostitute
nobody wants to be a child of a prostitute
nobody wants to live under the bridge, working their ass off
just to be able to eat for today.

the differences between us (the frikkin law students) were
we're lucky to be born from a parents that had better job and
they chose to live as they are now.

im sorry if im not like other 'law students'
i do love my job as a volunteer, and im proud of it!